Indigenous Glass Art Takes Center Stage at the National Museum of the American Indian
“Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass” celebrates culture, craft, and storytelling. Now on view in New York City.
The vibrant medium of glass takes center stage in Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass. Featuring more than 100 glass art pieces created by 29 Native American and First Nations artists, this exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York also includes works by leading glass artist Dale Chihuly, who first introduced glass art to Indian Country as an instructor at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
“This exhibition underscores one path of evolution for Indigenous artists that breaks beyond media considered traditional for their respective cultures,” said Michelle Delaney, Associate Director for Museum Scholarship. “Through their work in glass, these artists have expanded into unexpected ways of expressing Native perspectives.”
Spanning approximately 45 years of Native glass art, the exhibition presents a wide range of objects that demonstrate the diversity and skill of Indigenous glassmakers, highlighting how artists have embraced glass as a means to explore both aesthetic and cultural expression. From vessels to sculptural forms, the works on view illustrate innovation in technique, experimentation with materials, and evolving approaches to the medium.
Several featured artists bring fresh approaches to glassmaking, using inventive shapes, textures, and methods to transform traditional influences into contemporary forms. The show aims to provide insight into the ways Indigenous artists continue to expand their craft while reflecting on heritage and identity.
Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass is on view through May 29, 2026, at the museum’s George Gustav Heye Center in New York City. It was organized by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it was curated by Letitia Chambers, former CEO of the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, and artist and museum consultant Cathy Short (Potawatomi). The traveling exhibition is toured by International Arts & Artists. After its presentation in New York, Clearly Indigenous will travel to San Diego and Spokane, Washington.
A companion catalogue published by the Museum of New Mexico Press features most of the artworks in the exhibition. It was authored by Chambers, Short, and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
Generous support for the exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian was provided in part by Janet and David Offensend.
For more information, visit americanindian.si.edu.
